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KPW

North Korean Won

KPW · North Korea

65
High
Risk
What does this mean for you?

The North Korean Won is under significant pressure, scoring 65 out of 100. This isn't a crisis yet, but things are moving in the wrong direction. If you're saving in this currency, you need to be paying attention — your purchasing power is being eroded.

To keep up, your money needs to grow by at least 57% per year. Every KPW100 saved today buys about KPW65 next year. Calculator ↓

Inflation
55.0%
Debt / GDP
Not available
GDP Growth
-0.1%
FX Volatility
0.1
Governance
-2.5
Reserves
Not available
Analysis
What's working well
Limited positive signals
What to watch out for
The official exchange rate doesn't match what people actually pay (5000% gap)
Restrictions on moving your money out of the country
Prices rising fast (55.0% per year) — your savings lose value quickly
Full North Korea analysis →

Savings Impact Calculator

KPW
Holding cash in KPW55.0% inflation
KPW 112−KPW 888 (89% purchasing power lost)
Your KPW 1,000 buys 89% less in 5 years
What if you invested KPW 1,000 instead? (5yr, in KPW terms)
USD-denominated assets gain an additional ~52.0%/yr from expected KPW depreciation vs USD
Hold USD Cash
KPW 7344
+KPW 6344
+49.0%/yr net in KPW
S&P 500
KPW 11.2k
+KPW 10.2k
range: KPW 6634–KPW 17.9k
10% USD return + 52.0% FX · ±16% vol
Gold
KPW 10.5k
+KPW 9486
range: KPW 4653–KPW 21.1k
8% USD return + 52.0% FX · ±24% vol
Bitcoin
KPW 17.4k
+KPW 16.4k
range: KPW 2815–KPW 65.8k
25% USD return + 52.0% FX · ±54% vol

All values in KPW. USD-denominated assets (S&P 500, Gold, Bitcoin) include an estimated FX gain of ~52.0%/yr based on the inflation differential between North Korea (55.0%) and the US (~3%). This uses purchasing power parity as a long-run approximation — actual FX movements can differ significantly in the short term. S&P 500 based on 1957-2024, Gold on 2000-2024, Bitcoin on 2015-2024. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.

Holding other assets too? Calculate your full portfolio risk →
This score is based on our 12-factor risk model. Think inflation or debt should matter more? Build your own model with custom weights and see how KPW ranks differently.
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